The problem with washing bottles in the dishwasher is the water doesn't get up and into the bottles. Some water might get in them, but they won't get washed thoroughly. That said, I think the dishwasher soap might cause some head retention issues? Though I have no experience with that, I do recall reading it somewhere.

Since they were new bottles though, I don't think any harm will be done. You will have to rinse them all with a no-rinse sanitizer before you bottle though... generally you want to rinse and then bottle right away, instead of leaving them around collecting stuff inside them again. The reason I say no harm is done with the new bottles is, old bottles, if not rinsed right away, will develop a nice amount of nasty gunk in them overtime, and I don't think a dishwasher will get it out.

Moving forward, I'd simply suggest rinsing your bottles after you use them, store them, and then when you're ready to bottle, give them a good rinse with no-rinse sanitizer. A vinator will also make your life MUCH easier.

^^^^^ this. After you pour your beer into glass, rinse the bottle out with hot tap water, air dry and store until next use. Before using them again completely submerge bottle in no rinse sanitizer and you are good to go.

Smell will not tell. You cannot determine their cleanliness inside by smell.

Were these rinsed well before washing? Regardless, I'd rinse them to get rid of the soap.

As for using the dishwasher, it depends upon how good a dishwasher you have....high end models will do a good job cleaning bottles if properly loaded. Others may do adequately. Find out....take a few bottles, don't rinse them immediately,...let dry and place in quadrants on the lower dishwasher rack and run it. Examine...add hot water and pour out contents...you'll find out. I bottled for two years without liquid sanitizer....the dishwasher had a sanitize cycle that ran superheated water and then dried at 300 degrees....never had an infection. You can sanitize in the oven as well.....

I have been rinsing out all of my used bottles, before putting them away. I always use my dishwasher directly before bottling my beer, and have had none of the problems mentioned above. I use the long wash/rinse setting and finish in the Sanitize setting.

In my opinion the dishwasher is a totally unnecessary step. If the bottles are rinsed thoroughly after drinking the tasty contents, just dry and store them. No gunk will grow inside and they are ready to go for your next batch. Just sanitize with a no rinse product and go.

Smell will not tell. You cannot determine their cleanliness inside by smell.

Were these rinsed well before washing? Regardless, I'd rinse them to get rid of the soap.

As for using the dishwasher, it depends upon how good a dishwasher you have....high end models will do a good job cleaning bottles if properly loaded. Others may do adequately. Find out....take a few bottles, don't rinse them immediately,...let dry and place in quadrants on the lower dishwasher rack and run it. Examine...add hot water and pour out contents...you'll find out. I bottled for two years without liquid sanitizer....the dishwasher had a sanitize cycle that ran superheated water and then dried at 300 degrees....never had an infection. You can sanitize in the oven as well.....

Will The water sanitize them alone? I did a batch of bottles and didn't use the dry cycle just The sanitize cycle on my dishwasher.

Will The water sanitize them alone? I did a batch of bottles and didn't use the dry cycle just The sanitize cycle on my dishwasher.

That depends entirely upon the how water temperature in your dishwasher and its effectiveness in distributing water. Sterilizing by oven method requires >160 degrees.....pretty hot actually.

You could run your dishwasher on the cycle and open it during it and insert a jar or something to collect some water, continue cycle for a minute or so to collect water and the take that out and test the temperature. If it is well over 160, maybe.....at least the outside, but that doesn't matter. You need to know the temperature of the bottles themselves to find out if it worked and that's a tricky property to test....

I still use a dishwasher.......just to rinse and then use as a rack...and I put the vinator on the door so I don't slosh it on the floor....